# Agent Skills

> Package step-by-step procedures as versioned markdown files the agent loads on demand — no more stuffing every workflow into the system prompt.

- **Category**: Agentic AI
- **Subcategory**: Tool Use & Environment
- **Canonical URL**: https://designpattern.fyi/patterns/agent_skills/

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## Description
**Intent**: Give each recurring workflow its own skill file so the agent picks it up only when relevant.

**Context**: Your agent handles refunds, address changes, appointment scheduling, and policy Q&A — each with a multi-step procedure your ops team has already figured out. Cramming all of it into the system prompt bloats context and makes every task slower.

**Solution**: Package each procedure as a markdown file (plus optional companion resources) in a known directory. The agent loads the right skill on demand based on the current task. Skills live in version control alongside the agent code.


## Use Cases
- Too many procedures to fit in the system prompt without killing performance.
- Procedures are stable enough to write down and version.
- The agent can reliably figure out which skill applies to a given task.





## Trade-offs


### Advantages

- Workflow know-how becomes a first-class product artifact — reviewable, shareable, and versioned.

- Skills evolve independently; update one without touching the rest.




### Considerations & Drawbacks

- Discovery overhead: the agent has to correctly match task to skill, and wrong matches hurt.

- Skills rot if nobody maintains them when the underlying process changes.







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**Reference**: [Original Source](https://www.agentpatternscatalog.org/patterns/agent-skills/)